Priekšsēdētājs. – Nākamais darba kārtības punkts ir Komisijas paziņojums Krievijas Federācijas kara noziegumi, jo īpaši ukraiņu karagūstekņu nogalināšana (2024/2897(RSP)).

Vēlos informēt deputātus, ka ir paredzēta tikai viena politisko grupu pārstāvju uzstāšanās kārta un ka tādēļ nebūs brīvā mikrofona procedūras un netiks pieņemtas zilās kartītes.

  Didier Reynders, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, thank you for your efforts to try to go on with so many conversations in the room.

Honourable members, the European Union stands strong behind Ukraine and will support Ukraine as long as it takes and as intensely as it needed. Russia's atrocious treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war is inexcusable and it must stop immediately. Russia must adhere to its long-standing international commitments, and encouragement of these killings from public figures must cease.

Last week, we were appalled to hear reports that nine Ukrainian prisoners of war had been shot by Russian troops in Kursk. On 1 October, the office of the Prosecutor General also opened an investigation into the reported execution of another 16 prisoners who had surrendered to Russian troops in Donetsk. So far, at least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have been reported to have died while under Russian captivity. This is unacceptable.

The ill treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war is not limited to summary executions, as witnessed by the report of the UN Office for the High Representative for Human Rights, published on 1 October. The use of torture against prisoners is systematic, according to the report. Prisoners of war are subjected to different types of torture, from severe beatings to sexual violence, humiliation and starvation at all stages of captivity. Their protection and humane treatment are fundamental principles where all have committed to uphold to the Geneva Convention as a global community, including Russia.

In addition, the intentional execution and the torture of prisoners of war are considered war crimes under the Rome Statute. Russia's executions and torture are thus yet other examples of the Kremlin's disregard for international law in general and more specifically, international humanitarian law. The European Union calls on the Russian Federation to uphold its expressed and long-standing commitments to international humanitarian law, to ensure the brutal executions and torture of Ukrainian prisoners ceases.

Independent monitors should also be granted access to the prisoners. The European Union is strongly committed to supporting Ukraine in its pursuit of accountability for these heinous crimes. To this effect, we are supporting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office to strengthen the investigation and prosecution capacities of international crimes in Ukraine.

Also, the European Union supports the ICC's central role in international criminal justice and actively participates in the setting-up of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression.

  Sandra Kalniete, PPE grupas vārdā. – Priekšsēdētāja kungs! Komisāra kungs! Godātie kolēģi! Ko gan vēl var pateikt par Krievijas fašistiskā režīma armiju? Vai ir kāds nežēlīgs noziegums, ko Putina kara pūļi nebūtu pastrādājuši pret kara gūstekņiem?

Ikdienas prakse ir ieslodzīt gūstekņus kopā ar kriminālnoziedzniekiem, masveidīgi badināt, neļaut sazināties ar tuviniekiem. Taču ir šausminošāki noziegumi. Var gūsteknim nogriezt galvu un ar to lepoties soctīklos. Vai arī sadedzināt dzīvus Azovas vienības karavīrus. Var izģērbt kailus kara gūstekņus un nošaut, izvarot, spīdzināt un nogalināt.

Ja Putins uzskata, ka tā spēs iebiedēt ukraiņus, tad velti. Mēs zinām, cik drosmīga ir ukraiņu tauta.

Ukrainas karagūstekņu nogalināšana, ko sistemātiski pastrādā Krievijas karaspēks, ir kara noziegums un demonstratīvi starptautisko tiesību pārkāpumi. Mums ir zināmi bendes, viņu komandieri un režīma propagandisti, kas glorificē un veicina šīs zvērības. Viņiem visiem būs jāstājas tiesas priekšā.

Ukrainai ir jāuzvar. Tāpēc mēs prasām atcelt ierobežojumus, kas ukraiņiem liedz izmantot tālā radiusa raķetes, lai iznīcinātu militāros objektus Krievijas teritorijā. Krievija ir jāsakauj, lai tās imperiālisms neapdraudētu mūsu nākotni.

  Chloé Ridel, au nom du groupe S&D. – Monsieur le Président, Victoria Rochtchyna avait 27 ans. Elle était journaliste, avait été emprisonnée par la Russie dans les territoires occupés de l’Ukraine depuis un an et est morte le 10 octobre. Sa mort s’ajoute à celle de 25 prisonniers de guerre ukrainiens, exécutés par l’armée russe depuis début octobre. En tout, ce sont 177 prisonniers de guerre ukrainiens qui ont été tués par l’armée russe depuis février 2022.

Cela n’est qu’une manifestation du mépris, répété depuis toujours, de la Russie envers le droit international, et en particulier envers les Conventions de Genève de 1949, qui sont censées fixer des limites à la barbarie de la guerre et protéger les civils, le personnel humanitaire ou encore les prisonniers de guerre.

Les crimes de guerre de l’armée russe continuent parce qu’ils sont impunis. L’impunité est le socle de l’impérialisme russe depuis plusieurs siècles. Jamais aucun travail de mémoire n’a été fait vis-à-vis des crimes de l’ex-URSS ni de la colonisation de ses territoires, qui suivent toujours le même schéma: viols, déportation des populations autochtones et russification forcée.

Pour ce qui concerne l’Ukraine, le Parlement européen l’a demandé à plusieurs reprises, et nous le répéterons autant de fois que nécessaire: la Russie doit rendre compte de ses actes devant la Cour pénale internationale. Nous demandons la mise en place d’un tribunal international ad hoc chargé d’enquêter et de poursuivre le crime d’agression russe contre l’Ukraine et de mettre fin à l’impunité.

  Tomasz Buczek, w imieniu grupy PfE. – Panie Przewodniczący! Rosjanie dokonują egzekucji na ukraińskich jeńcach wojennych. Stanowczo to potępiamy. Dla nas w Polsce zbrodnie ZSRR czy Rosji to nic nowego. Gdy Stalin był jeszcze sojusznikiem Niemiec w pierwszym okresie II wojny światowej, dokonał w Katyniu egzekucji ponad 10 tysięcy polskich oficerów, żołnierzy i policjantów. Taka jest od wieków barbarzyńska natura rosyjskiego imperializmu.

Mieszkańcy Europy Wschodniej zdążyli tę naturę poznać i zrozumieć. To Europa Zachodnia zaś miała zawsze z imperialną Rosją dobre relacje. Niestety, całe spektrum polityczne Europy Zachodniej jest skażone tym sentymentalnym i naiwnym obrazem Rosji. Nie istnieje Rosja szanująca ludzkie życie ani jakiekolwiek wartości świata cywilizowanego, świata opartego na szacunku do człowieka. Rosja nie rozumie języka rezolucji, międzynarodowych konwencji, którymi chcecie z nią rozmawiać. Nie dalej przecież jak trzy dekady temu podpisano memorandum budapeszteńskie, na mocy którego Ukraina wyzbyła się głowic nuklearnych za rosyjską gwarancję nienaruszalności granic. Ile były warte te gwarancje żyrowane przez Wielką Brytanię i USA, widzimy wszyscy dobitnie dzisiaj. Wyciągnijmy wnioski i inwestujmy w zdolności obronne naszych armii.

  Adam Bielan, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Mr President, today we talk once more about the cruel war into which Ukraine has been forced by Putin's regime. I would like to reiterate that the Ukrainian population and army are a stark example of courage and determination.

As the most recent UN report points out, the Russian insatiable cruelty and disdain for human rights and for the Geneva Convention has been again made obvious to all. Putin's frenzy spills over whoever is against his tyrannic ambitions. Soldier Shyshko and US citizen Hubbard are but figureheads of the systemic murders, torture and ill treatment for people in captivity, which Putin is encouraging openly.

Bucha and the many other examples of the Russian criminal machine must not fade from our memory or they will happen again in Ukraine and in the EU. We have the power to stop this. We must stand by our ally and deliver the means for this horror to end.

  Petras Auštrevičius, on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the bloody aggression against Ukraine has pushed Russia to the edge of civilisation. Russia has deliberately chosen this path and must pay the price. To create psychological pressure, and led by revenge, the Russian army is systematically killing Ukrainian prisoners of war.

There are currently over 170 cases of evidence of such war crimes. These are genocidal war crimes committed by Russia against Ukrainians. They must be recognised and punished under international law. Each murder of the prisoner of war must become a separate case against the Russian Federation. Everyone who ordered and executed that crime must be punished.

While expressing our condolences and support to the Ukrainian families after the loss of their loved ones, we must increase the pressure on the aggressor state in every possible way, using financial-economic sanctions and political-legal measures to isolate Russia.

Our response to the aggressor Russia remains firm: its aggression against Ukraine is genocidal crime and it will be punished.

  Sergey Lagodinsky, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, sexual violence; electric shocks through field phones or car batteries; mock executions; sleep deprivation; and forcing detainees to sing the Russian national anthem and patriotic songs for hours at night. Those are the standard methods of torture by Russia.

Putin's Russia blatantly disregards the Geneva Convention, sentencing prisoners of war and civilians to 20 years in prison, including life sentences. These trials are fabricated. Confessions are obtained by torture, and the legal process is nothing more than a theatre.

Thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war are held incommunicado without any rights guaranteed by international humanitarian law. Thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war are struggling. They are being severely physically and psychologically tortured and they live in hunger, without basic supplies, without medical assistance. Death in such conditions is also a murder.

So, before we call for their liberation, first and foremost, we need to help them stay alive by using all our networks and all our power.

  Didier Reynders, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I want to thank you all for your full support in our fight against impunity.

The European Union condemns the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russia in the strongest terms possible. Russia has to honour its commitments and grant independent monitors humanitarian access to prisoners of war. There can be no impunity for crimes as horrendous as these and the European Union remains utterly committed to holding those responsible for these crimes accountable.

We support all efforts to bring those illegally detained home. It is crucial that returnees, both prisoners of war and civilian detainees, are fully accounted for.

So I thank you again for your support in such a very difficult moment and we will continue to fight against impunity.

  Priekšsēdētājs. – Debates par šo dienas kārtības punktu ir slēgtas.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Mr Sieper, you have a point of order?

  Lukas Sieper (NI). – Mr President, I am referring to Rule 178, which states that in every debate also the non-attached Members shall have speaking time. So I'm wondering why there was no non-attached Member in this debate who got allocated speaking time.

  President. – I've been informed that the secretariat of non-attached Members didn't apply for this – your secretariat of non-attached Members. So that was my information that I got now.